A document processing unit may facilitate an exchange of information. For example, an employee may use a printer or copier to create multiple copies of a memo or report to be distributed to other employees of the company. As another example, a child might use a scanner to capture a page of a book and then send that captured image to his or her friends as an email attachment.
Note that it may be desirable to limit or otherwise control the distribution of certain types of information. For example, a company might want to prevent employees from printing or copying confidential business information, such as trade secrets or personal information (e.g., employee salaries or customer Social Security numbers). As another example, a parent might want to help a child avoid the creation or copying of certain documents.
In some cases, a business might establish a rule or policy about printing, copying, or otherwise distributing information. For example, a company policy handbook might let employees know that the printing or copying of inappropriate information is not permitted. Even with such an approach, however, employees might forget the policy or mistakenly create documents that violate the policy. Thus, it can be very difficult to monitor and control the processing of documents, especially when a relatively large number of people, documents, and/or document processing units are involved.